Newbie Behavior Questions

[Guest roweboy]

We're a month in to GH ownership and I love reading through the forum. Many topics and comments help me understand our new dog and this breed which is new to me even as a lifetime dog owner.

 

I have a couple of questions for those who would be so kind to answer:

 

I read a lot about prey drive, people describing their dogs with low or high drive. I'm trying to figure out where our boy fits in with this. We have 4 cats, one of whom (ironically the smallest, whitest and youngest of the 4) who can walk up to him, jump around him run next to him to greet me and sniff his mouth without a reaction. The other 3 are shyer but as they emerge he's gotten less inclined to chase them and usually either ignores or watches them from his bed. At first they excited him a little too much for comfort but he seems to be getting the idea that we all live here.

 

Bunnies in the yard get chased but not with much intent and he's easily distracted, when I tell him to "leave it alone". He does like to munch what they leave behind. Birds barely turn his head and land nearby unchallenged. Squirrels, however, piss him off, lol, and will be chased and barked at, territory will be marked and there's much scratching afterwards for emphasis. So, low or high drive? Medium?

 

Next question is dog parks. They scare me (losing or having a dog injured) but we keep meeting GH owners who tell us that we should take him. Do they mean to let him off leash in them? I've never taken a dog (non GHs) to one because I've never trusted previous dogs on their recall. I know off-leash is a hot-button topic among GH owners, but when people discuss it, are they referring to dog parks or just in general?

 

Last question: Does anyone use sports wrap on their dog's legs when they go hiking? It seems like it might offer protection from cuts.Or would this just be silly and useless?

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Guest Lillypad]

Well hi there, Congratulations on becoming a new greyhound owner. I too am new to greyhound ownership. Won't you agree what lovely creatures they are. Honestly, a greyhound was my husband's choice, but I am so thankful I met and fell head over heals for Lilly.

 

I will answer your questions with the best of my abilities, you will get lots of good advice from more experienced folks here on Greytalk, (which is why I love reading the threads). Prey drive: Sounds like your boy is truly a dog first and greyhound second. By that I mean, chasing squirrels sounds pretty normal for a dog...LOL But if he is living happily with 4 cats (poor, poor boy, no just kidding we have a cat) I would have to say his prey drive is on the low end. However, it is often said cats safe inside does not mean they are safe outside. Do your cats go out, can you test this theory.? Our cat does go out and the two get along well inside and out. If your boy is responding to "leave it" than that is a great sign that he respects your commands. A good foundation of basic obedience and a solid re-call, I believe, is the key to controlling prey-drive.

 

Dog Parks: Not my fondest topic. Been there, not happy with them. But sometimes we don't have a choice if we want to give our hounds a good free run. When you say dog parks, I assume you mean public, fenced parks. If I do go and the area is fenced, I will let my hound off leash. (I don't do off leash in unfenced areas, not confident enough). You mentioned other GH owners. Do they go to a particular dog park? Can you meet up with them for a fun run? Is there a GH group in your area that you can meet with? My experience has been more positive when we have had an all greyhound play location and date (only because all the hounds wear muzzles and each hound is safe. In a perfect world I would have every dog at a public dog park wearing a muzzle, wouldn't that be great LOL. (No bullies, no resource guarding) LOL

 

Sports Wraps: Can't wait to hear what folks have to suggest. I thought about wraps this past winter, the snow and ice was very harsh this year. Protection while hiking would be great. Also sometimes Lilly will nick one or the other leg with a toe nail. I wonder would leg wrap help with that when doing agility.

 

Well that's it from me. Welcome to Greytalk, post some photos of your boy (Listen to me, I have yet to post any of Lilly, ... guess it is tad late to post that lovely picture of her with Santa... LOL

[a_daerr]

Re: prey drive. I've read that 20% of greyhounds are VERY high prey (not safe with cats or small dogs, unable to break focus, goes into "the zone" when they see any small animal that could be considered prey). Another 20% are VERY low prey (not fazed by indoor cats or small animals, easily distracted with outdoor critters). Then, the other 60% are somewhere in between. This is probably your guy. The majority of these in-betweeners are trainable and can learn to adapt to the small animals. There are no hard and fast rules regarding prey drive because there is so much variation. I've known some greys to be fine with small dogs, but not cats. Some are fine with indoor pets, but consider anything outside fair game. One of mine is cuddly and affectionate towards a specific cat, but likes to chase the other.

 

Re: dog parks. Your friends are probably referring to fenced-in dog parks. These are totally fenced, therefore, there is little to no risk for escape. The big risk lies in the behavior of your dog and others. On this forum, you'll find many people who are either pro-dog parks or anti-dog parks. While it is fun and exciting to watch your greyhound run full speed and play with other dogs, there are lots of opportunities for fights, injuries, and traumatic experiences. Before trying out dog parks, IMHO, you should spend at least a few months getting to know your dog and deciding whether or not he's appropriate in a dog park situation. It's also important that your dog have at least the bare minimum basic obedience skills (come, leave it) and socialization with different types of people and non-grey breeds. Be prepared for scrapes, scratches, sprains, cut up feet, and the potential for bites. A good alternative to dog parks is a greyhound meet-up group. These are typically groups of other greyhounds in a fully fenced area where all the dogs are muzzled.

 

Hope this helps!

[silverfish]

It sounds as if your boy has a relatively low prey drive but certain things can set him off. Off leash works for us with certain dogs and in certain places. The two I have now I don't let off leash much because Sid is a tripod (at present recovering nicely from corn surgery) and Jeffie is half-blind and not very sensible - they did go to a fenced in field this morning for a run .. or rather a sniff-fest and grass banquet followed by a gentle amble around the perimeter. Not much running going on there!

 

Sports wrap? I had one greyhound with dewclaws that stuck out at an odd angle and I used Vet Wrap to cover them when he was off leash. He and his companion Renie were off-leash most days out in the countryside and did extremely well. Renie had low prey drive and was so lazy she wouldn't trot for more than a few paces if a rabbit popped up ten yards away, and Jack loved to chase the bunnies but would stop and playbow to them when he caught up - and he was far too sensible to do anything like jump fences or dykes. Once he was spooked by bird-scarers while we were out and he bolted, but merely to run to stand beside the car, waiting to be let in! Those two were great, so was Jim, our first (who was safe anywhere), but apart from the two I have now, we've also had a girl with a ferociously high prey drive who'd have chased and killed anything not greyhound-shaped.

Point is: know your dog. If you are not 100% certain then err on the side of caution. In a dog park where many dogs are running off-leash, you have to worry about a couple of things: your dog's reaction to other animals, their reaction and temperament, and stupid people. Stupid people include those who bring their little dogs into the big dogs' park because 'he wouldn't hurt a fly' or 'he only wants to play', and those who bring their aggressive large dogs in and then release them.

 

As for the cats, yes, oftentimes a cat is safe indoors, but when running outside it's seen as fair game, so be cautious.

[Guest BiggiesOwner]

I'm a new grey owner as well. For the first time we took our boy to the dog park we purposely went at an odd hour -3pm on a weekday. That way we were the only people/animals there and it gave us a chance to see how Biggie would do off the leash/work on recall with him. Now we take him at "prime time" because he is pretty good with recall and loves playing with the other dogs.

[sobesmom]

Congrats on your new grey! And welcome to GT! I think it's super when somebody is looking for info to make life more fun, more informed and happier!

 

As far as prey drive - it's a subjective measure. I've had all high-prey greys, and fosters. I've never had a grey in my home that could be near a cat without trying to kill it. That's high prey. I'd call your dog medium-prey, catsafe. Catsafe ONLY applies to cats inside the home. A stray outside could be an issue. A zero-prey drive grey wouldn't be interested at all in squirrels or bunnies. Most greys probably fall into the same category as yours. Of course, this is just my personal spin on it.

 

When most people talk about dogparks - they refer to off-leash. They go to let their dogs run. If you don't have a fenced yard, it may be the only opportunity for the dog to run. There aren't any where I live - and I have a big fenced yard, so I have nothing to offer on that topic. My greys run all they want (it's not much) in the yard. Some people love them. Some people hate them. Use your own judgement.

 

I've used vet wrap on my greys in the winter, when the snow is deep and has that hard crust on it. That can scratch them up. You can try it for hiking. Might work, might not. If the dog hates it I wouldn't bother. Scratches happen. When they do - vet wrap works great. LOL!

[Feisty49]

Sounds to me like your girl is low drive, almost as low as mine who barely looks at squirrels and comes to me to remove the cat when she (cat) has taken over Annie's bed.

 

I've tried dog parks in the past and unfortunately decided it wasn't good for Annie or me (I get anxious). I love the idea of Annie playing with other dogs and running around, and she only runs when there is at least one other dog, even in our own fenced backyard, but Annie doesn't run/play nice. She'll run shoulder to shoulder with a non-Grey dog, as if she can't outrun him, and then .. BAM.. cut him off so the dog has to put on the brakes real fast or go tumbling. (She doesn't do this with Greyhounds.) That's putting the other dog in jeopardy, which is the reason we mostly stay away from dog parks (though because I know that Annie has a continuously evolving personality, about every 6 months I try again). My anxiety comes from the thought of another dog being injured.

 

Also -- and this may be paranoid but so be it -- a lot of dogs together sounds like a soup mix for fleas and catching something such as giardia, which is easily transmitted. Thankfully she's not a dog who is interested in others poo but I don't want her drinking from a water bowl 10 other dogs have slobbered in.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Feisty49

[KristenMichele]

Most of the dogs I have had in the past have had low to moderate pray drive. Indoors they are content but when outdoors with bunnies and other wild life like birds the prey drive would definitely increase.

[Guest FinnsMama]

Congratulations on your new companion!

Finn, my current grey, has a very high prey drive. He catches mice and moles in our backyard. I clap loudly when I open the door as i let him out and so far, in 7 years he has not killed a squirel. But he keeps them on their toes. Lol..

 

We have an eight foot privacy fence around our yard and he has some space to run. But he only runs a very short time and then comes in and sleeps. I agree with the others, if you don't have much space you might go the dog park when there are not very many others or no other dogs there and try it out. Personally they scare me too but that is just me.